Keely Hodgkinson and Matt Hudson-Smith in record-breaking form in London

Brits enjoy perfect Paris send-off at a packed Olympic Stadium for the Diamond League

After her late withdrawal from last year’s London Athletics Meet, Keely Hodgkinson was determined to return to the event in 2024 and put on a show for her home crowd. The 22-year-old did it in style, too, in the British capital, on Saturday (July 20) with a national 800m record of 1:54.61.

With the Olympics imminent, can she now step up from a series of global silvers to claim gold in Paris?

The brilliant performance improves on her British record of 1:55.19 and now moves Hodgkinson from tenth to sixth on the world all-time rankings, overtaking the likes of Athing Mu, Maria Mutola and Tatyana Kazankina. Is it too much to dream that Jarmila Kratochvilova’s long-standing world record of 1:53.28 is now in her sights?

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” said Hodgkinson. “London really knows how to put on a crowd. I just have to stay focused now for the Olympics and go and get the job done.”

This wasn’t all about Hodgkinson, though. The UK rankings were re-written with stunning personal bests from Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell.

After Erin Wallace led through the bell in 55.58, Hodgkinson took up the lead at 500m but Reekie, who won this race 12 months earlier, stuck in doggedly behind and her reward was a time of 1:55.61 that puts her second on the UK all-time rankings, just ahead of Kelly Holmes’ former UK record of 1:56.21. Reekie was recovering from a bout of Covid only a fortnight earlier too.

Bell stepped down from her more familiar 1500m distance and improved her 800m best from 1:59.93 to 1:56.28 as she moves into fourth on the UK rankings.

Such was the standard, Laura Muir ran a season’s best of 1:57.63 but was only eighth.

Hudson-Smith smashes European 400m record

Matt Hudson-Smith blew his European record of 44.07 apart as the Birchfield Harrier stormed around the London Stadium in 43.74.

It places the 29-year-old equal 12^th on the world all-time rankings and marks him out as a gold medal contender in Paris. After silver in Budapest last summer, can he step up and claim an Olympic title?

Finishing in his wake were Vernon Norwood of the United States and Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago in 44.10 and 44.18 respectively. There was further joy for British fans, though, with Charlie Dobson improving his PB to 44.23 as Kirani James, the London Olympic champion 12 years ago, finished fifth in 44.38.

James, whose all-time best is also 43.74, was among the first to congratulate Hudson-Smith.

“To run 43 seconds before Paris is exactly what me, my coach and team were aiming for,” said Hudson-Smith. “To get that world lead and to set myself up for Paris is what I really needed to show the rest of the world what I am capable of.

“Before today I wrote on a paper that I was going to run 43.7, because I did a race model and my coach had told me I was in 43 seconds shape. All I had to do was go out there and show it.”

Brilliant Bol runs meet record

Such is the terrific standard of Femke Bol’s 400m hurdling, the London Stadium fell a tiny bit flat when she crossed the line in “only” 51.30. There were hopes she might improve her European record of 50.95 set the previous weekend in Switzerland but the crowd had to be satisfied with a meeting record of 51.30 – slightly quicker than the Dutch athlete ran here 12 months earlier when her 51.45 was a European record at the time.

“I truly love to run here in this stadium, it is so special and to put on this great field it is fantastic,” said Bol. “I am excited for Paris and of course put on my best race there. I am looking forward to racing Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone] and that will push us both.”

Behind, Shamier Little of the United States was runner-up in 52.78 and Jessie Knight was top Brit in fifth in a season’s best of 54.15.

Nickisha Pryce also impressed over one lap as the 23-year-old clocked a women’s 400m meeting and Jamaican record of 48.57. What’s more, the awe-inspiring time lifted her to seventh on the world all-time rankings.

Behind, European champion Natalia Kaczmarek ran a Polish record of 48.90 in second, while Lieke Klaver of Netherlands clocked a 49.58 PB in third.

With half an eye on Christine Ohuruogu’s British record of 49.41, Amber Anning fell just short with an excellent 49.63 as fellow Brit Laviai Nielsen ran a PB of 49.87 in fifth.

Taking a chunk off her PB of 50.67, the run moves Nielsen from twelfth on the UK all-time rankings to seventh, leaving her in tears afterwards as she smashed through the 50-second barrier.

British record in the 4x100m

Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita took advantage of good conditions in the London Stadium to equal their British 4x100m record of 41.55.

Rising to the occasion in front of the near 60,000-strong crowd, not only did the quartet match the national mark they ran in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, but they enjoyed a confidence boosting performance ahead of Paris as they beat the Olympic host nation France by more than half a second.

The GB men’s team didn’t enjoy as good an afternoon, though, as the A team failed to finish. Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe and Richard Kilty combined to get the team into a good position into the final exchange but Reece Prescod appeared to set off too soon and could not get the baton from a flailing Kilty.

Japan won in 38.07 from Australia with the GB’s second team anchored by Eugene Amo-Dadzie in third.

Americans Lyles and Thomas enjoy sprint wins

If this Diamond League meeting was a great meet for British athletes, the US visitors also did pretty well with Noah Lyles winning the men’s 100m in 9.81 (-0.3) and Gabby Thomas the women’s 200m in meeting record of 21.82 (-0.9).

The Brits were also in the mix and now know what they have to do to challenge in Paris. British champion Louie Hinchliffe was fourth in the 100m in 9.97 with Zharnel Hughes, on the comeback from injury, sixth in 10.00 and Jeremiah Azu seventh in 10.08.

If missing last week’s Diamond League in Monaco made Lyles’ fans nervous, there was no need as he beat Akani Simbine of South Africa (9.86) and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (9.88), the latter equalling his national record.

“A PB and getting faster before Paris,” said Lyles. “I wanted to dip under the 9.80 mark – I thought I was going to get a wind like everyone else.”

Behind Thomas and Julien Alfred – she ran a Saint Lucia record of 21.86 – Dina Asher-Smith clocked a season’s best of 22.07 after fading a little in the final 50 metres after a great bend. Daryll Neita was fourth, also in a season’s best of 22.20, with Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland fifth in 22.35.

Asher-Smith said: “I am a little frustrated but on the other hand it is my best time in two years and I am feeling fit and healthy going into the Olympics so that is the most important thing just now.”

Emsley Carr Mile ruined by early fall

With 17 men racing into the first bend of a mile race, accidents are always likely. So after the multiple pile up on Saturday, is it time to consider an 800m-style start with athletes in lanes for the first 100m? Or even, as a number of athletes suggested, the race could have been called back immediately and re-run.

The historic Emsley Carr Mile on Saturday was narrowly won by Olli Hoare of Australia in 3:49.03 from Narve Gilje Nordas but the home crowd was left disappointed and athletes themselves frustrated when Neil Gourley and George Mills hit the track in the opening metres and failed to finish.

Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland ran a world lead of 7:27.68 in the men’s 3000m as he outkicked Grant Fisher of the United States (7:27.99) with Edwin Kurgat of Kenya third (7:28.53).

Fisher made a long run for home from the bell but Lobalu stayed in touch and had too much for the American in the final 100m. Behind a string of PBs included Ireland’s Brian Fay (7:34.48) and Nick Griggs (7:36.59), Jack Rowe (7:38.70), Scott Beattie (7:42.78) and Will Barnicoat (7:48.12).

Big shot Fabbri beats Crouser in head-t0-head

Ryan Crouser suffered a rare defeat as the world record-holder finished second to Leonardo Fabbri of Italy. In a key clash on the eve of the Olympics, European champion Fabbri threw 22.52m to Crouser’s 22.37m as Payton Otterdahl was third with 22.13m and Joe Kovacs fourth with 22.03m.

Britain’s Scott Lincoln couldn’t repeat his recent 21-metre form as he threw 20.71m in seventh.

Fabbri said: “I’m really happy because mentally I’m really improving a lot and I’m really confident for Paris.”

In the women’s pole vault, Nina Kennedy continued her fine recent form on the circuit as the Australian won with 4.85m as Alysha Newman of Canada was second with 4.75m and Britain’s Molly Caudery third in 4.65m. Olympic champion Katie Moon of the United States, meanwhile, only cleared 4.50m as she wound up eighth.

Malaika Mihambo of Germany won the women’s long jump with 6.87m (-0.1) with world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson jumping 6.54m (0.5) in fifth.

The seats in the London Stadium were still filling up when Mackenzie Little of Australia threw the javelin out to 66.27m in the first round of her event. For the world bronze medallist it was the second best throw in the world this year as she beat Adriana Vilagos, who threw a Serbian record of 65.28m.

Little said: “I couldn’t ask for more than getting a PB in the last competition before the Olympics but it does bring a lot of expectation and pressure.”

Huge 400m improvement for Reardon

In one of the breakthrough performances of the day, Sam Reardon whopped well over a second off his 400m PB in the ‘national’ race for domestic men as he won in 44.70.

Reardon was fifth in the world under-20 final for 800m in 2022 and has juggled 400m and 800m – with a two-lap best of 1:45.95 – but in 2024 he has raced over just one lap and was rewarded with a huge improvement on Saturday as he moved to fourteenth on the UK all-time rankings.

The 20-year-old’s previous best was 45.99 set in Dublin earlier this month after running only 46.45 to finish third in his heat at the UK Championships in late June. Until 2024 he hadn’t even broken 46 seconds either.

“I knew a big run was on the cards but 44.70!?” said Reardon. “People always ask me if I’m a 400m or 800m runner and I always say both. But I think that solidifies me as a 400m runner. I’m just ecstatic and hoping to do both for as long as possible.”

Yemi Mary John, meanwhile, won the women’s ‘domestic’ 400m in 51.18.

Paralympians warm up for Paris

In the para-athletics events, Zak Skinner ran a British record in the T13 100m as he won the ambulant men’s race in 10.84 (0.9) from Zac Shaw’s 10.87 as Thomas Young, in third, also set a national record in the T38 category with 10.92.

Sophie Hahn enjoyed a win in the ambulant women’s 100m as she clocked 12.55 (0.2) to win by almost half a second.

Brent Lakatos of Canada out-sprinted Brits Nathan Maguire and David Weir to win the men’s wheelchair 1500m in 2:59.95.

Ben Sandilands clocked 3:55.10 in the ambulant men’s 1500m as he held off fellow Brit Steven Sandilands.

Sammi Kinghorn is perhaps more familiar to BBC viewers as a presenter on Countryfile or The One Show but on Saturday she won the women’s wheelchair 800m in 1:43.24 from Lea Bayekula of Belgium as Hannah Cockroft finished fifth.

“I am racing tomorrow at the England Champs,” said Kinghorn. “It is on my way home so I thought I might as well and it is all good championship experience for doing back to back races. After that it is all about staying healthy, staying fit and preparing for Paris.”

Amo-Dadzie’s winning return

Earlier in the programme Eugene Amo-Dadzie won the ‘national’ men’s 100m in 10.12 (2.1) from Reece Prescod and CJ Ujah as Imani-Larsa Lansiquot claimed victory in the women’s ‘national’ 100m in 11.12 from Desiree Henry and Bianca Williams.

The win was particularly pleasing for Amo-Dadzie as he used to at the London Stadium in hospitality for West Ham United FC.

Full results here.

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